Hi all,
I just bought a bottle of René Engel CV 1990 and I’m seeking some advice on decanting. Actually, I don’t think I’ll use a decanter as I’m concerned it will kill the wine, but wondered if it should be popped & poured or left open for a few hours before drinking.
I have little experience with older Bourgogne but I’ve seen wines collapse within 1 hour or on the contrary rise and shine after 2 hours.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!
Alain
Alain, FWIW, my notes on this wine from last March…from my cellar program: Please report back.
3/15: 1st night with mb spags; 2nd night with grilled porgies. This wine is a wow wine. First night some bright acidity; 2nd night a lovely maturing wine with a finish of sweet red fruit. Long finish. lovely with food. Lush even. Deep regal red fruit. Will peak around 30 I’d guess. As good as CV gets; a complete wine with good acidity to balance the mix.
I must have also posted this on WB:
from WB: For the second time in a month I had this happen with an older wine. Opened a 1990 Engel Clos Vougeot Monday night. It was mellowing seemed on the cusp of maturity. Left in decanter for 6-7 hours after cleaning of sediment. It got better and better and though there was still relatively prominent acidity (yes…even in 1990) and vibrant fruit, it was maturing. Put the rest back in bottle; no refrigeration (I almost never do that), last night it was in my view a wine that was in perfect harmony: the acidity and the fruit were “one” and no tannins to speak of. Though I would have rather aged the bottle for 5 more years, and will for the others, this, I think, is an excellent preview of what its potential is/what is to come. I think aeration shows that…or that it has none.
But, I am not looking for vibrant, “fresh” fruit returning with aeration: I am looking for the wine to show its beauty, aromatically and on the palate…and then…show its potential thereafter. Like a movie trailer. This one and a '95 Rion NSG Hauts-Pruliers last month both did that in spades. I’ve been paying closer attention to this thanks to this thread.
I have no doubt most whites benefit from lots of air. The reds are trickier, I think. More variables.
Unless you think the wine has been badlly stored (and i am guessing you don’t otherwise why buy it) decanting will not destroy it. If you plan to be drinking something else before it, decant before your meal and give all a pour to be sniffing before you are ready to drink it. In my view wines about 25 years old are in the middle of the “benefit from decanting” zone. They need the air to flesh out and clean up but should have more than enough stuffing to sit in a decanter. If it will be the first wine of the night give it an hour in the decanter. Or else decant and return to bottle and recork early in the day.
Thanks Stuart for the notes, this gives me some very good insight on what to expect.
Thanks also Maureen, I guess I’ll just try a small pour upon opening to see where the wine is at. I don’t know the bottle history, I bought it at a wine shop 4 hours ago after seeing it yesterday, and the guy told me he had it for quite some time. Level and color were good so I gave it a try… It is definitely one of the most expensive wines I’ve bought, so I don’t want to screw up! 
Alain
Fwiw I popped and poured the 93’ last year without decanting and consumed it over 3 hours. It was fabulous.